Liverpool 2 – 0 C Palace

Liverpool got their preparations for the new season up and running with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace in Singapore.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were well beaten by Manchester United in their first outing as they began their build-up to the new campaign on Tuesday, but they responded well to the 4-0 defeat in Bangkok as Jordan Henderson’s early strike sent them in with the lead at the break.

Liverpool, who saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leave the game with a hamstring injury just before the break, made 11 changes at half-time, including the introductions of Mohamed Salah and new signing Darwin Nunez.

It did not take long for Salah to get in on the action as his deflected shot beat Vicente Guaita to seal what in the end was a comfortable victory against Premier League opposition.

How Liverpool eased past an understrength Palace…

Liverpool started brightly and kept possession brilliantly in the opening stages of the games.

However, it was Palace who produced the first effort on target as Odsonne Edouard rose highest at a corner, but his header was easily plucked out of the air by Adrian.

Curtis Jones then forced a smart block from Guaita before Liverpool took the lead.

Harvey Elliott’s cut-back picked out Henderson inside the penalty area and the England midfielder swept the ball into the far corner for the Reds’ first goal of pre-season.

Roberto Firmino then headed wide and Elliott spurned a glorious chance with only Guaita to beat as Liverpool looked to extend their advantage, but there was disappointment for the Reds just before the break as they lost Oxlade-Chamberlain to what looked like a hamstring injury.

Liverpool made 11 changes at the break, including the introduction of Salah, and the Egyptian got straight into the action.

Cutting in from the right flank, Salah’s left-footed shot took a deflection off Joachim Andersen and wrong-footed Guaita, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out.

Nunez almost added Liverpool’s third a few minutes later, but, after being picked out by Salah’s cut-back, Guaita palmed the striker’s shot away as his wait for a first goal for his new club continued.

Substitutions continued to disrupt the rhythm of the second half, but it was Liverpool who looked the more likely to add to their tally.

Guaita was by far the busier of the two goalkeepers and he denied Fabio Carvalho before keeping out Virgil van Dijk’s powerful header to keep the score respectable.

‘We played really good football’

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on the positives from the match:

“The way we played football, if you didn’t see it and just read the result, we played a good game against United but we lost 4-0 because we made mistakes in completely the wrong moments. Football mistakes likely lead to goals or at least to chances. But it depends where you make the mistakes and you can still sort it with defending. The mistakes we made against United were not to sort anymore because we were open in these moments.

“We were much more compact today. We still played really good football – which we did against United as well. We scored twice, which we didn’t do. It was a clear step in the right direction and that makes me really happy. It’s our second game and we have to work a lot in the next four weeks, I would say especially, to prepare the rest of the season. There are already Premier League games but anyway we have to use the time because from mid-September on we will not have time to train anymore because we just play then every three days.

“That’s why it’s so important that we get through these kind of things; that some players had 45 minutes, it was right for them, others 30 minutes. They might have been able to play a little bit longer as well but I really wanted to give the young boys an opportunity as well to play in this incredible atmosphere because they do everything with us, they are constantly with us and then in the moment like this where it’s really enjoyable to play football, we would leave them out? I didn’t want to have that, that’s why they came on. So far, so OK.”

‘The result is not the priority’

Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic:

“It was a good game of pre-season. In the end we lost, but the most important thing is that we had a good, intensive game with a lot of running, and with a lot of moments to try something.

“In the end, these kinds of games the result is never the priority. We have two more to play in this tour, and we’re looking forward to that.

“We took many young kids to come with us, and I think for them this one is a great experience. To play against one of the biggest clubs in the world, and to show themselves that they are at this level of football.

“You always have to take positives from games, and I definitely take that one.”

Much-needed miles in both sets of players’ legs

Analysis by Sky Sports’ Richard Morgan:

“Job done as far as both sides are concerned in the heat and humidity of Singapore as they gear up for the new season, with Liverpool responding well to Tuesday’s 4-0 drubbing against Man Utd with a polished display.

“As is normal at this stage of pre-season, it is all about getting much-needed miles in the players’ legs, with Klopp making 11 changes at the break, and then a whole more with a quarter of an hour to go.

“The only negatives as far as the German is concerned would be yet another muscle injury picked up by Oxlade-Chamberlain, who limped off just before the break, as well as another scoreless showing from club-record signing Nunez.

“But the Uruguay striker, who came on at half-time, did look dangerous and it surely won’t be too long until he opens his Reds account.

“Palace, meanwhile, fielded a much-changed team and in truth, it showed at times, but there were enough promising attacking moments for Patrick Vieira to be encouraged for the upcoming campaign.”

What’s next for Liverpool and Crystal Palace?

Liverpool travel to the Red Bull Arena to face Bundesliga side RB Leipzig on Thursday (kick off 6.15pm), before travelling to face Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday July 27; kick off 7pm.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace travel to Melbourne for Tuesday’s pre-season friendly clash against Man Utd (11.10am).

Liverpool’s pre-season schedule…

Crystal Palace’s pre-season schedule…

• Crystal Palace 5-4 Millwall
• Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace
• Manchester United – Tuesday July 19, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne; kick-off 11.10am BST
• Leeds – Friday July 22, Optus Stadium, Perth; kick-off 11.05am BST
• QPR – Saturday July 23, Loftus Road, London; kick-off 3pm BST
• Montpellier – Saturday July 30, Selhurst Park, London; kick-off 3pm BST